Draenei
thumb|Corrupted Draenei Almost 25,000 years ago, a faction of Eredar led by Velen fled their homeworld of Argus, calling themselves the draenei("Exiled Ones"). After traveling through the cosmos they finally found a world which they called Draenor ("Exile's Refuge"). They at first shared a peaceful existence with the natives, orcs and trade with them. They enjoyed a shamanistic lifestyle. However by coming to the planet they also lured their the rest of their kind there as well, who found the orcs to be easily manipulated. Unfortunately, they were almost completely exterminated by the orcs shortly after their corruption by the warlock Gul'dan. After the Dark Portal was destroyed, Draenor collapsed in on itself and what remained was a sundered mass of planetary debris and floating asteroids, hovering in stasis within the Twisting Nether. The regions of Draenor that are still habitable are now known as Outland. Draenor was not the only thing to change in this ordeal, as some Draenei- those known as the Lost Ones and the Broken- were altered by the destruction of their world. A number of Draenei- those loyal to the Alliance- still remain untainted. But collapsing demonic energies of the Dark Portal and magical disfiguration from the link to the sundered world mutated many of them into the aged, weathered creatures they are today. (Source) Draenei are consumed by an unquenchable bloodlust whenever they know orcs are near, as they are bitter enemies. The Draenei will be the new Alliance race in the Burning Crusade expansion. Playable Race Starting Zone The Draenei start in the Azuremyst Isles, a grouping of islands off the northeastern coast of Kalimdor. Source Classes *''5/10/2006, New York Time What classes will be available to the Draenei? Warrior, Priest, Paladin, Mage and Hunter. We might change that, however, maybe add or remove a class.'' Racial Abilities * Blessing of the Naaru - heals the target of 50 damage over 15 sec * Gemcutting - Jewelcrafting skill increased by 15 * Inspiring Presence - Increases chance to hit with spells by 1% for all party members within 30 yards * Shadow Resistance - increased by 10 source Known factions The Broken Though the draenei were thought by many to have been completely wiped out by the orcs' genocide, Illidan and his forces discovered a surviving draenei village in Outland during their flight from Azeroth. These draenei swore allegiance to Illidan in return for his liberating them from orcish and demonic oppression. Having been corrupted by demonic influences, they have lost some of their former abilities, and their already broken forms have been further altered, causing them to become a sub-species known as the Broken. The Broken are renowned for being unbeatable spies and assassins, as their warriors can shadowmeld regardless of the time of day and even while moving. They are currently ruled by Akama, the elder sage, and are allied with Illidan's naga and blood elves. The Lost Ones A small band of enterprising draenei were led through the Dark Portal during the orcish invasion of Azeroth, and with high hopes of finding a new life, they settled in the Swamp of Sorrows. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered that most of them were driven mad due to their separation from Draenor, particularly following the loss of the Dark Portal and thus any hope of returning home. They now attack anyone and everyone on sight. The few sane ones that remain are led by Magtoor. They remember their noble roots and still survive in the swamp in opposition of their mad brethren, whom they call the Lost Ones.thumb|The Draenei in the Swamp of Sorrows Draenei (Exiled Ones) This is the faction of Draenei that have joined the Alliance. In a twist, the Draenei are Eredar that broke away from the rest of their race leaving their homeworld of Argus when it looked like their race was going to become evil. The bretheren that they left produced some of Warcraft’s most fearsome foes, like the demon Archimonde. They remained uncorrupted while the rest of their kind turned into the Eredar known today. Their appearance is significantly different from that of the rest their kind, but share some similarities, they have horn-like protrubrances from their foreheads, tentacles sprouting from their chins, cloven hooves, possess tails, and walk digitigrade like a cat. Draenei society is a utopian like thing. They work for a greater good and bonds of friendship are considered most important to there survival. Little else is known about how they operate other than these facts. There is said that the Draeneis mount in Outland will be the Nether Dragon See Also *Official page for further information about Draenei, which is the new Alliance race in The Burning Crusade *Draenei (Warcraft III) for unit statistics from Warcraft III *Garona Halforcen, who may be half-draenei Category:Game Terms Category:Draenei Category:Intelligent Creatures Category:Creatures Category:Humanoid Category:World:Outland Category:Alliance races External Links * http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/technology/10warcraft.web.html E3 coverage from the New York Times confirming the Draenei as the fifth Alliance race. * http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/technology/10warcraftqa.web.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1 E3 coverage from the New York Times, interview with Jeff Kaplan